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💉 GLP-1 receptor agonists - such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro - are now widely used for weight loss, but past researc...
09/06/2026

💉 GLP-1 receptor agonists - such as Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro - are now widely used for weight loss, but past research suggests they come with a cost: muscle loss. Now, international researchers say taking the drug apitegromab could help preserve our lean body mass during weight loss with tirzepatide (Mounjaro), in a study funded by the producers of the drug. To work this out, the researchers gave 102 people with overweight or obesity either tirzepatide plus apitegromab or tirzepatide plus an inactive placebo for 24 weeks. The team says that, while the weight loss between the groups was similar, the people who received apitegromab lost 1.9 kg less lean mass than those who received the placebo, which would represent them holding on to 54.9% more lean muscle mass. Additionally, the researchers say the drug combination was well-tolerated and could be used in the future to help people retain their important muscle mass.

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🥵 A survey of 1100 adults in WA has found that while most people think climate change is happening, only around half of ...
05/06/2026

🥵 A survey of 1100 adults in WA has found that while most people think climate change is happening, only around half of us have really thought about how climate change affects health, and less than half of us think climate change will harm our own health in the next decade. The survey also found that only 44.7% of people recalled recent climate-health information, and most felt poorly informed. The authors say that while many people anticipate worsening environmental conditions, such as extreme heat, they fail to connect these with health outcomes such as heat-related illness.

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🗑️Sorting the recycling at home leads to a higher quality recycled product compared to relying on sorting at recycling f...
04/06/2026

🗑️Sorting the recycling at home leads to a higher quality recycled product compared to relying on sorting at recycling facilities, according to international research. The researchers compared bales of plastic for recycling that either came from consumer-sorted collections, in which plastic packaging, metals and drinking cartons were separated from general rubbish before it was picked up, or mixed recycling collections where all the rubbish had been collected together, and it was only sorted at the recycling plant. They found that the bales from the mixed recycling collections contained more contaminants, including prohibited metals such as cadmium and lead, which could pose risks to human health if not removed before recycling. They also found that while mixed waste (not pre-sorted) collections may increase overall recycling volumes, they come at the cost of reduced quality of the recycled product.

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03/06/2026

🤖 New research from the US suggests that almost a fifth of young adults aged 12 to 21 have used an AI chatbot for mental health advice. The researchers surveyed more than 42 million young adults in the US, and say these numbers represent an increase by almost 50% from the year prior. Additionally, the surveyed youths were highly likely not to have informed anyone about their use of AI for their mental health, the team say.

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🤖 New research from the US suggests that almost a fifth of young adults aged 12 to 21 have used an AI chatbot for mental...
02/06/2026

🤖 New research from the US suggests that almost a fifth of young adults aged 12 to 21 have used an AI chatbot for mental health advice. The researchers surveyed more than 42 million young adults in the US, and say these numbers represent an increase by almost 50% from the year prior. Additionally, the surveyed youths were highly likely not to have informed anyone about their use of AI for their mental health, the team say.

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💊 UK researchers have been looking through the receipts of 3.4 million people in England and say over a quarter of women...
01/06/2026

💊 UK researchers have been looking through the receipts of 3.4 million people in England and say over a quarter of women buying menstrual products buy pain relief at the same time, with women in lower-income areas being significantly less likely to do so. The team looked at loyalty card data from a major UK health and beauty retailer over a decade, finding 26.7% of people were purchasing the combo together, equating to these customers being nearly four times more likely to buy pain relief while buying menstrual products compared to other shopping trips. They say customers living in the lowest-income areas were 32% less likely to buy the products in tandem, compared to those people living in the highest-income areas, which they suggest is most likely indicative of an inability to afford over-the-counter medication, rather than lower rates of menstrual pain itself.

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29/05/2026

👃 International researchers have found that the pollution we inhale from industry and traffic could be triggering us to have stuffy noses. The team compared the sinuses of 62 people with chronic rhinosinusitis - inflammation of both the nasal passages - against 30 noses of people who didn't have the condition, while they were all under for endoscopic sinus surgery. They then gathered data on what kind of pollution the participants were exposed to. They say that traffic fumes were linked to a specific kind of immune reaction, and exposure to industrial chemicals and particulate matter was linked to a different kind of inflammation. The team suggest that different kinds of air pollution could trigger different kinds of sinus problems, which might help explain why chronic sinusitis affects people in different ways.

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**Content warning: this press release contains information about child sexual exploitation and abuse, which some readers...
28/05/2026

**Content warning: this press release contains information about child sexual exploitation and abuse, which some readers might find upsetting**

💻 European researchers say one in six kids who have access to the internet is experiencing some form of online sexual exploitation and abuse. The team looked at survey data from nearly 12,000 children, aged 12-17 years, in 12 countries across Asia and Africa, and say that, over the area surveyed, these numbers are the equivalent of over 10 million kids experiencing this abuse. This included receiving unwanted sexual images, being pressured into sexual conversations, having private images shared without their consent, or being blackmailed online, the team found. Additionally, the researchers found that the children did not disclose over half of the incidents, and when they did, they tended to tell friends rather than police or helplines.

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27/05/2026

💊 Older adults living alone need more support to manage their medication, according to US researchers. The team surveyed 116 people over age 55 with cognitive impairment (such as trouble with memory), and 54 social contacts (such as friends and family of the older people), and found these adults face many challenges living alone, particularly when it comes to medications. Participants described daily struggles to remember medications without outside reminders or encouragement, a fear of the negative effects of medication (such as drowsiness) while alone, and trouble navigating medication-related bureaucracies without help. The team also found that many older adults were withholding information from health care professionals in order to maintain their independence.

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🧠 Autistic Australians face a homelessness risk nearly three times higher than the general population, according to new ...
26/05/2026

🧠 Autistic Australians face a homelessness risk nearly three times higher than the general population, according to new Flinders University research that reveals how everyday systems are failing to recognise and support autistic needs before housing is lost. The study shows homelessness among autistic people is rarely about personal failure, but instead stems from services, workplaces and housing systems that are difficult to navigate without tailored support.

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